Let's Get Down to the Business... Card.

About 2 weeks ago I had a chance to set up a stall at a local culture center and met some REAL people with whom I can share some thought about my works. A common question that kept coming out of their mouths is: DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS CARD? Well, I had thought about making one but was kind of runnin' out of inspiration then, but now - after browsing my old works - I have made an absolutely gorgeous one which I call The 16th's New Dress (click on the image for larger version):

Care about knowing a bit more about the design? Of course you do!

When we talk about good design, we always think of a key element that catches our attention immediately, in this case of mine, I have TWO, that big white circular thing (resembling moon) and some casual stains of orange (the color all my BABES can't live without). I put that circle on top not only because the original work sort of makes me think about the scene of night but it is a better solution for just putting texts on the colorful background. Applying lighter color makes a soft transition and distinction, and since it has a specific shape, it makes one fall into a certain mood naturally when one looks at it.


Besides, to keep it from being too "Clean", extra strokes was painted with a color that blends with the background harmoniously.


Well, you know, I was trying to imply that when you look at the moon, you do see some blemishes on it, and sometimes, it's the blemishes that give the charms. ;)

By the way, do you see those ripples on the right?? I saved those ripples for this design to suggest that a viewer can look at this card in different angle so he can discover something new (or old, since it originated from my Energetic Baby No.16!).

Finally, there comes good news for you all: I'm gonna offer this as free gift - an A4 print of limited edition^* - for my customers. There are only 5o of them so if you're intrigued already, better not hesitate and go right away to my shop and pick a print of your favorites! ;)

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Note:

^* Business card and an A4 print edition is a bit different 'cause you do know that textures are hardly recognizable on a tiny card, right? :)

Something Awful and Something New

Bad news for me: my old computer was totally broken a couple of days ago! Good news for all: I bought another one through lots of muss and fuss! Can't believe such a tragedy happened to me, and I still have old stuff on my old hard disc to save, but thanks God! All my babes are safe and sound, who are all wide awake and waiting for the right time to make some noise. The 2nd release of my Free 2008 Calendar: Army of Energetic Babes is available now, including No.14, No.93 and No.90 (from March to May). Just follow the link on the image bellow to download the file.

2nd release of Army of Energetic Babes Calendar

I have a couple of new ideas for the future projects, but I'm preparing for a local art fair and I don't have too much time to execute my plan. Some limited edition of my prints may be sold so you have better hurry up before they are all gone with the wind. My shop is always open, and my babes will be very happy to greet you at the door in case I'm not around! :)

BTW, a new, stable version (2.4) of GIMP is available. Download link for Linux: http://gimp.org/downloads/. As for Windows: http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html

A Change Will Do Me Good: Something New for My Website

Since I have created a new page on my website (click on the image above to get there :D), just to keep my daily baby sitting job easier, I guess some of you would like to know a bit of tale behind all this. If some of ideas work for you, that's even better!

1. Related Blog Post:
I have thought about creating a single page for individual image, but then I might have to give up my fabulous layout altogether! No good!! Instead, I just wrote a few words for each work, and in case I feel the urge to explain or do some promotion, I will comment on it on my blog, and then add the links on the page of my website.

2. Installment of Lightbox2:
This is my favorite innovation this time, thanks to this fancy, super-convenient javascrip by Lokesh Dhakar. After installing this lovely script, you can add a bunch of images for any links on your sites. The image will fade in with dark background, and if you have related images, you simply group them together by including a group name.

3. Detailed looks:
Like what I have told you above, it is really easy to put additional images for each link, so I thought a detailed look is not only welcome, but satisfies the curiosity of some visitors.

4. AddThis! Widget:
From Digg, Del.icio.us, Furl, to Diigo, Facebook, and StumbleUpon, you name it, this widget got it! Saving a bookmark has never made one feel so good! :P

5. Reader Art Submission:
Some of you might have heard of my lousy event I call O'Range is Hot, it's a dumb idea, but I'm still taking your response very seriously! Everyone can submit his/her the most fantastic orange work, and after a bit of consideration and arrangement, it might have a chance of coming into my kindergarten and have some fun with my "kids" for some time. I promise there won't be any kicking or bruises happening! :P

Energetic Baby No.93: The One and Only, I Mean Daily-Deviationally

Buy Now!

It's always a big deal - at least for lots of deviants - of getting a DD, abbr. of Daily Deviation. It almost feels like I was overwhelmed by a storm made up by the wind and the rains of visits, faves and comments, the scale of which is so enormous that it's impossibly for me to visit each deviant's profile just to say "Thanks for the +fave" by endless pasting. To make this event BIGGER, I'm obliged to introduce, officially, right here and right now, the little fellow of my called Energetic Baby No.93 ¹ that caused this sweet surprise!

The following is the remark from the administrator, Sophquest:

Check out...Energetic Baby No.93 by ~mitrm. With it's zany looking gears, this seemingly mechanized fractal, might be something we'd see inside Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! The Suggestor writes: "I am just blown away by this render. The textures and shading are just fabulous, as is the gradient. It's definitely a full-view piece!"

Never have I watched the movie, but the word "mechanized" is certainly one key element. The outline of this work is very clean and sharp, which has its appeal but I always managed to put something else into my work according to my mood and the flow of my own.. let's just say "artist's instinct." To create the illusion of "dimensions," a lot of darkness naturally were applied with the brighter colors, as usual. The contrast is also quite obvious that directs a viewer's attention and imagination around the image. A observant guy might notice the curved, oddly-looking shades - I need those to imply the tension of the graphic. There are a couple of secrets I hide inside this work, but I would rather you take the trouble of searching for them. After all, art isn't something that should keep a distinctive shape that required not a second look. :P

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Note:

¹ In case you're interested in the detailed look of this work, please refer to the 3rd page my official website. Thanks.

Free 2008 Calendar?! No Kidding!

Yes, I'm in a giving mood, for Christmas's sake, and thanks to the generosity of my Babes, the first release, i.e., from January to March, showcasing Baby No.44, 9 and 59, is now available solely for your pleasure! Just click on the image to download my 2008 Calendar: Army of Energetic Babes, and please use A4 size of paper, and set your printer as recommended to get the best result:

• Print Type: borderless printing (I have set 2% bleed edge!)
• Print Quality: high (or 100dpi to 150 dpi)
• Media Type: photo paper matte

At first I did want to arrange the images according to the theme of 4 seasons, but then I sort of got lazy! Stay tuned 'cause more are coming real SOON! Before I forget, don't use glue but tape which can prevent your paper from deforming and discoloring. The sharp angle of triangle scare ya?! You can just make a cylinder instead of a triangular prism. ;)

Interview with Graphic Arts

I show you the above image for a reason: a couple of weeks ago, the group moderator, mimobase, of Graphics Arts on Redbubble sent me a request for an interview, that's quite an honor, and definitely a first for me! I talked about my work Energetic Baby No.88 (as you see on the top!) in my interview, which goes as follows:

GA | Interview

This weeks GA interview is with a digital artist from Taiwan – Mitrm

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your artistic background?
I’m just another ordinary guy who claims that being a self-trained artist is something admirable and enviable.
Seriously, that’s not true, I’m just another lad who enjoys making digital graphics ‘cause he never had (or rather, gave himself) a chance to do something beyond his imagination and capability. I always love making stuff since I was a little kid. I enjoy the whole process of creativeness, from the first sparkle of an crazy idea to the very end – good or bad – and most of time, it’s the process, challenge and the experience that help me progress and give me the sense of fulfillment. About an year ago I started learning graphic design programs by sheer chance, after a few embarrassing attempts in the beginning (we all have been there!), I know better where my comfort zone is so I can fool some into believing I’m really good.

What is the inspiration behind your works?
You, but it’s not YOU. Without hardly any artist background, I need to see a lot of artwork to get inspired, to know that’s the trend, what others have done and what else could I achieve. So I carefully avoid the most powerful works I have seen, but borrow (if not steal) the strong impression they give me or the key element and blend it into my own work. At times the softwares inspire me as well. You know a slight change of a variable can make a whole lot of difference when it comes to making digital arts. It can be an obstacle but that’s what sharpens my vision as well: only through constant work I can keep focusing on ME, who is actually being creative and “creating” but making graphics that already exist in the setting of the programs.

What is your personal favourite of all your works on redbubble today and why, and if you will explain a little on how it was created?
I would say it’s Energetic Baby No.88 , which obviously wasn’t one of those that I spent the most time and labour on but I love it nevertheless. It’s one of my most catchy and cheerful works though (at least the work fits the title), and you can see plenty of my other babes are the implicit imitators of it. Basically it’s all about circles, which create the funky and pleasing pattern, and the cute, ragged polka dots that bring extra movement along with fresh palette and the shades. The strategy is quite simple, but it proves that through some basic elements one can create a good graphic/visual work, even for an amateur like me.
By the way, the most funny comment I got on this work is “it’s warm and homey, maybe because it reminds me of place settings at a table.”

Which other redbubble artist do you admire?
Mel Brackstone , LostBoy1 , Paul Ruiz and artstruggle .

Tell us what are you doing in your free time?
Reading, writing, baby-sitting, walking my dog, playing tennis and breathing.

Art.In.General: Edward Hopper

The image on the left is entitled Nighthawks, which gave me a very strong impression the first time I saw it on a wordpress blog last week and fortunately I saw it again yesterday in a bookstore. Do you see how sharp the light and the building are? and are you just like me, feeling your heart beat faster and faster by the empty but disturbing atmosphere in the painting. If your anwers can't be more positive, it's about time for you to meet another master like Edward Hopper who can teach you some lessons you probably can't learn from anyone else.

For more incredible art, check out my bookmark group - Art.In.General.

Energetic Baby No.9

Buy Now!

Do you see the "shadow" of Baby No.59 in this? Yup, I admit that I was a bit carried away, but hey, life might be really boring without the company of shadow, right?! ;)

In this new work (not that new actually, which I finished 3 weeks ago), I tried to emphasize the contrast of colors, and certainly the composition plays a major role one this one: it seems like I sort of offer 2 options for myself (and viewers as well), one is naturally going deep deep down into the abyss, or one can choose to travel along the smooth cures and jump on the petals by will. If you wonder why I have my favorite orange leaning against the right side, well, the truth is, I'm demonstrating for you how I build up my laws by breaking up my laws.

What Do You Do With "AQUA"?

Well, you do with what other readers of blanket magazine do: submit a piece of work that reacts to it!! The deadline is November 25th, 2007, so you had better hurry up.

But what the heck is blanket magazine?! According to the staff, their mission is "to create an online magazine that will uncover new, emerging and established designers/artists/photographers, showcase their talent and give them a vehicle for self promotion. We aim to inspire through informative, functional and dynamic design and encourage designers, artists and photographers to contribute on many levels and build a strong network of creative's."

Believe it or not, my Energetic Baby No.76 is one of members of the family in the Good vs. Evil issue, release #4 (sound of clapping and Hooray!!! ^_^). Some great works you can find in this issue include:
Andre Gordon
Zamir Bermeo
Joe Penrod
Grant Barnhartand many many more. If you're one of those who needs others to recognize your genius and prides yourself for being side by side with your favorites artists, get your image ready ASAP. And good luck! ;)

Roman Notes by Cy Twombly

I should have featured some artists selected from my Art.In.General., but after I saw this piece of Twombly in Art in America magazine (it provokes lots of thoughts naturally) I decided to mention it here, without giving you much viewpoints of mine which I take as quite unnecessary and naive since I never do any background research of Twombly, who is in charge of painting the vast white ceiling in the Salle des Bronzes next year, according to the article - The Louvre Now Accepts the Living - on New York Times. And this fancy work from this famous American artist is shown below:

Don't Just Stumble Upon: Intro of My Bookmark Group

Some of you may not yet have the pleasure of knowing that I run a small, insignificant bookmark group exclusively for ARTS called Art.In.General., where I share a bunch of great links, with 7 other members (who barely share anything but their avatars), including references, news, designs, tutorials, art history and portfolio websites of artists. Since tastes differ (how I love this notion), my collections might seem a bit prejudicial and ignorant, so it would be really great to see your contribution of bookmarks for a change.

Besides that lovely comment tag for members, here are a couple of things I love about Diigo groups:

Preview and About Page: certainly everyone grasps a quick idea about a website based on tags, and you don't have to open a new window to take a peek on a Diigo Group. As for the About page, it's for those who are interested in the info of Google, Yahoo, Technorati and Digg links and score.Email Alert and Bookmark feeds: there are only a few clicks away for you to get the updated on whatever frequency that suit you best.
With that said, hopefully I will see some new bookmarks showing up in my group, instead of new, fresh and flashing avatars. God forbid!! :P

The Lady with Good Tips for Gardening

It's not necessary (I'm not saying odd or ridiculous) that an visual artist finds his creativeness on the bookshelf gathering works of Cervantes, William Faulkner and Turgenev, but at times a helping hand and a bit of sympathy from the dead gone but not forgotten is more than welcome. Today, my angel of mercy shows up in the form of Virginia Woolf, who could be one of the most friendliest writers you could ask for if you chance to relax for a while in the Saturday afternoon and hear her talking temperately and eloquently as a life-time companion who is always within reach. I select a couple of paragraphs below from The Patron and The Crocus -- a thought-provoking, short essay teaching you not how to make a fortune but to communicate with your audience and develop yourself as an artist. If you wanna download the original essay ¹ that I modified a bit so the texts would be more readable on an A4 sheet, please click this link.

...for whom should we write? For the present supply of patrons is of unexampled and bewildering variety. There is the daily Press, the weekly Press, the monthly Press; the English public and the American public; the bestseller public and the worst-seller public; the highbrow public and the red-blood public; all now organised self-conscious entities capable through their various mouthpieces of making their needs known and their approval or displeasure felt. Thus the writer who has been moved by the sight of the first crocus in Kensington Gardens has, before he sets pen to paper, to choose from a crowd of competitors the particular patron who suits him best. It is futile to say, “Dismiss them all; think only of your crocus”, because writing is a method of communication; and the crocus is an imperfect crocus until it has been shared. The first man or the last may write for himself alone, but he is an exception and an unenviable one at that, and the gulls are welcome to his works if the gulls can read them.

and

Granted, then, that every writer has some public or other at the end of his pen, the high-minded will say that it should be a submissive public, accepting obediently whatever he likes to give it. Plausible as the theory sounds, great risks are attached to it. For in that case the writer remains conscious of his public, yet is superior to it—an uncomfortable and unfortunate combination, as the works of Samuel Butler, George Meredith, and Henry James may be taken to prove. Each despised the public; each desired a public; each failed to attain a public; and each wreaked his failure upon the public by a succession, gradually increasing in intensity, of angularities, obscurities, and affectations which no writer whose patron was his equal and friend would have thought it necessary to inflict.

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Note:

¹ THE PATRON AND THE CROCUS is from The Common Reader, First Series (1925). You can read or download Woolf's works on Ebooks@Adelaide.